RDU - SAN

$73 Find Cheap Flights from Raleigh to San Diego

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from Raleigh to San Diego departing on 2/28. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to San Diego

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Raleigh to San Diego.
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results in flight searches from Raleigh to San Diego.
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Everything you should know

Cheapest round-trip
$236
Overall average: $331
Frontier
Sun 3/1Thu 3/5
RDU - SAN • 2 stops
Cheapest non-stop
$247
Alaska Airlines
Thu 4/23Wed 4/29
RDU - SAN • Non-stop
Our travelers' advice
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
RDU offers free Wi-Fi lasting 48 hours for travelers.
Route 992 bus is the cheapest way to Downtown from SAN.
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Expert advice
Video guide: How to find cheap flights to San Diego
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Top airlines
Frontier
Cheapest • from $236 (round-trip)
Breeze Airways
Best reviews • 8.2 score
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
+1
Airline reviews
Airline reviews
+1
When to book
2 weeks
in advance
Our data shows that travelers who book at least 2 weeks in advance save around 22% compared to booking last minute.
Insights
Insights
Insights
Insights
When to travel
September
Cheapest • 16% price drop
April
Most popular
Good to know
Good to know
+1
+1
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+1
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Flight Deals
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Flight Deals

Cheap Flights from Raleigh to San Diego (RDU-SAN)

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from Raleigh to San Diego that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from Raleigh to San Diego

Sun, Mar 1 - Thu, Mar 5
Frontier Logo
4:30 pm - 10:45 am
RDU
-
SAN
21h 15m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
11:59 am - 5:48 pm
SAN
-
RDU
26h 49m
1 stop
$236Frontier
Wed, Mar 11 - Mon, Mar 23
Frontier Logo
6:43 pm - 12:08 am
RDU
-
SAN
8h 25m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
9:58 pm - 5:48 pm
SAN
-
RDU
16h 50m
2 stops
$237Frontier
Tue, Mar 3 - Sat, Mar 7
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:51 pm - 10:04 am
RDU
-
SAN
18h 13m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
6:25 am - 5:48 pm
SAN
-
RDU
8h 23m
1 stop
$238Multiple Airlines
Thu, Apr 23 - Mon, Apr 27
Frontier Logo
9:59 pm - 12:01 am
RDU
-
SAN
29h 02m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 9:04 pm
SAN
-
RDU
11h 39m
1 stop
$241Frontier
Fri, Apr 24 - Tue, Apr 28
Alaska Airlines Logo
5:48 pm - 8:29 pm
RDU
-
SAN
5h 41mnonstop
Alaska Airlines Logo
10:51 am - 6:10 am
SAN
-
RDU
16h 19m
1 stop
$242Alaska Airlines
Thu, Feb 12 - Sat, Feb 21
Frontier Logo
4:55 pm - 12:08 am
RDU
-
SAN
10h 13m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 4:16 pm
SAN
-
RDU
6h 51m
1 stop
$244Frontier
Sun, Feb 8 - Sat, Feb 14
Frontier Logo
7:29 pm - 12:08 am
RDU
-
SAN
7h 39m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 4:16 pm
SAN
-
RDU
6h 51m
1 stop
$245Frontier
Wed, Mar 4 - Sat, Mar 7
United Airlines Logo
6:18 am - 11:14 am
RDU
-
SAN
7h 56m
1 stop
United Airlines Logo
4:00 pm - 4:04 am
SAN
-
RDU
9h 04m
1 stop
$247United Airlines
Thu, Feb 26 - Mon, Mar 2
Frontier Logo
4:55 pm - 12:08 am
RDU
-
SAN
10h 13m
1 stop
Frontier Logo
9:50 am - 12:10 am
SAN
-
RDU
11h 20m
2 stops
$249Frontier
Sun, Mar 8 - Wed, Mar 11
Frontier Logo
6:00 am - 8:33 pm
RDU
-
SAN
17h 33m
2 stops
Frontier Logo
6:25 am - 5:48 pm
SAN
-
RDU
8h 23m
1 stop
$250Frontier
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for Raleigh to San Diego flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from Raleigh to San Diego to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

Find cheap flights to San Diego
Find cheap flights to San Diego

Planning a trip from Raleigh to San Diego? KAYAK’s data-powered insights will help you find cheap flights. Learn the best time to fly, how early to book your ticket, and other tips to secure great prices.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from Raleigh to San Diego?

The average price of all round-trip flights from Raleigh to San Diego clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

If your flying dates are flexible, you should consider flying to San Diego on a Tuesday, as we generally find the cheapest rates on that day for this route. On the other hand, Monday is the most expensive day to fly from Raleigh to San Diego. For your return ticket, we recommend flying on a Saturday and avoiding Sundays for the best deals.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Raleigh to San Diego?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from Raleigh to San Diego, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from Raleigh to San Diego is September, where tickets cost $300 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are December and March, where the average cost of round-trip tickets is $453 and $438 respectively.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from Raleigh to San Diego?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $337 on average.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Raleigh to San Diego?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from Raleigh to San Diego, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Raleigh to San Diego, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 22% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 19 weeks before departure.

Expert advice

Expert advice for your flight from Raleigh to San Diego

 
AI-powered summary based on content written by travel experts. AI can make mistakes.
KAYAK teamed up with top travel experts to share the best tips for your journey.
Our travel experts
Brandon Schultz

Brandon Schultz

Expert on SAN

Brandon Schultz is an award-winning food and travel writer based in New York City. His work has appeared in Forbes, AAA, Thrillist, Travel + Leisure, and The Daily Meal, among many others, and he is the author of 6 books, including 3 cookbooks.

Jessica Macdonald

Jessica Macdonald

Expert on RDU

Currently based in Scotland after living in South Africa and the United States, Jessica has been writing travel and aviation content for more than 10 years. She regularly contributes to Travel + Leisure and TripSavvy, and has had work published by Condé Nast Traveller and The Independent. She has traveled to more than 50 countries across six continents.

Good to know

Low seasonAugust
Cheapest flight$73
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 15% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 3% lower on average.
Flight from Raleigh to San Diego

When to book flights from Raleigh to San Diego

Are your dates flexible? Find out the best times to travel from Raleigh to San Diego based on our flight data from the last year. Discover the cheapest month and even day to fly.
Estimated round-trip price
KAYAK looks at all historical flight data for each date to provide a predicted price for one-way trips or round-trips with a duration up to 40 days. While we try to provide actual minimum prices for each date, some prices are predictions and actual prices may differ.

FAQs for booking flights from Raleigh to San Diego

  • Does RDU have a military lounge?

    Serving as the Transit Center for the six major bases in North Carolina, the USO at RDU services thousands of US military active-duty personnel, their families, and military retirees each month. The USO is located in Terminal 2, open from 7 am to 7 pm daily. Some amenities of this USO include comfortable seating, TV, computers, a place for kids to play, beverages and snacks, and more.

  • Does RDU have animal relief stations inside the terminals?

    No. Currently, RDU does not have any pet relief areas inside the terminals. However, they do have two areas where your pet can go to the bathroom outside the terminals. Each pet relief station is located outside Baggage Claim in both Terminals 1 and 2. So, if you are traveling with a service animal or pet, make sure they go to the bathroom before you enter the airport and go through security.

  • Does SAN have any nursing rooms?

    Yes. These rooms are located in Terminal 1 in the West Rotunda, Terminal 1 in the East Rotunda, and Terminal 2 at Gate 34. These clean, quiet rooms have comfortable seating, soft lighting, artwork, a children's seat, a hand washing station, and electrical outlets.

  • How can I fly from RDU to SAN?

    United Airlines has a direct flight from RDU to SAN. Several airlines operate flights between RDU and SAN that entail one layover, including Delta, American Airlines, JetBlue, United Airlines, and Alaska Airlines. Some layover cities include Denver (DEN), Minneapolis (MSP), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas (DFW), Seattle (SEA), and New York City (JFK). Frontier, Spirit Airlines, American Airlines, and United Airlines are some of the carriers that operate flights between RDU and SAN with two layovers.

  • What is the cheapest flight from Raleigh to San Diego?

    In the last 3 days, the lowest price for a flight from Raleigh to San Diego was $73 for a one-way ticket and $236 for a round-trip.

  • Do I need a passport to fly between Raleigh and San Diego?

    No

  • Which airports will I be using when flying from Raleigh to San Diego?

    Raleigh airport is called Raleigh-Durham and the only airport in San Diego is San Diego.

  • Which airlines offer Wi-Fi service onboard planes from Raleigh to San Diego?

    Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta offer inflight Wi-Fi service on the Raleigh to San Diego flight route.

  • Which aircraft models fly most regularly from Raleigh to San Diego?

    The Airbus A220-300 is the aircraft model that flies most regularly on the Raleigh to San Diego flight route.

  • Which airline alliances offer flights from Raleigh to San Diego?

    Star Alliance, SkyTeam, and oneworld are the airline alliances operating flights between Raleigh and San Diego, with Star Alliance being the most commonly used for this route.

  • What is the most popular layover when flying to San Diego from Raleigh?

    Charlotte is the most popular layover city among KAYAK users traveling from Raleigh to San Diego.

  • Which is the best airline for flights from Raleigh to San Diego, Breeze Airways or Southwest?

    The two airlines most popular with KAYAK users for flights from Raleigh to San Diego are Breeze Airways and Southwest. With an average price for the route of $298 and an overall rating of 8.2, Breeze Airways is the most popular choice. Southwest is also a great choice for the route, with an average price of $429 and an overall rating of 8.0.

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Raleigh to San Diego?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Raleigh to San Diego.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Raleigh to San Diego?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight to San Diego from Raleigh is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Raleigh to San Diego?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly to San Diego with an airline and back to Raleigh with another airline. Booking your flights between Raleigh and SAN can sometimes prove cheaper using this method.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Raleigh to San Diego?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying to San Diego from Raleigh up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

KAYAK’s top tips for finding a cheap flight from Raleigh to San Diego

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found flights on this route for $169 or less one-way and $317 or less round-trip.
  • Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) is a focus city for Frontier Airlines and Delta Airlines. San Diego International Airport (SAN) is a focus city for Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
  • SAN has a Traveler's Aid service near the Baggage Claim in Terminals 1 and 2. Open 8 am to 11 pm daily, this non-profit’s goal is to assist distressed or stranded travelers. Travelers Aid helps with situations such as stolen or lost money, emergency housing, transportation assistance, and more.
  • RDU has several accommodations to make travel more hassle-free for differently-abled travelers, including handicap parking access, mobility aids, and TTY phones. RDU welcomes service animals and uses the program TSA cares, which helps ensure that differently-abled travelers have the time and assistance they need getting through the security checkpoint.
  • To park your car at RDU before your flight to SAN, you can park at Premier Parking, which is closest to the terminals. The most affordable option is to park at one of the Economy Lots which are further away. To park at RDU, you need to book your spot online at least a day before your travel. You will get a QR code that you then use to enter whichever lot you have chosen.
  • RDU has a Meditation Room Landside in Terminal 2 that is open 24h every day. This room is a quiet space where passengers can pray, reflect, relax, or just retreat from the commotion of the airport. RDU also has a chapel located in Terminal 1 near the Baggage Claim, open 24/7.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Raleigh to San Diego

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying from Raleigh to San Diego. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Raleigh to San Diego? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.2
Breeze AirwaysOverall score based on 263 reviews
6.6Entertainment
8.3Boarding
8.7Crew
6.7Food
8.2Comfort
Airline reviews

10 hour delay with minimal updates. Couldn’t leave terminal and then ended up on redeye with a dirty broken plane. It is literally impossible to reach customer service via gate agent, app, phone, text or email.

2.0 MediocreAnonymous, Jan 2026
PHX - BDL
Read more Breeze Airways reviews

10 hour delay with minimal updates. Couldn’t leave terminal and then ended up on redeye with a dirty broken plane. It is literally impossible to reach customer service via gate agent, app, phone, text or email.

I thought that I had pre-purchased carry-on luggage and was surprised when I tried to check in that I did not have it.

Flight departure was 90 min delayed, and the boarding experience was confused, stressful, and generally poor. Additionally, the wifi on the plane was malfunctioning for all but the final 15 min of the flight into ILM.

Great experience and In love flying in and out of Provo airport

You get what you pay for. It’s like a bus but flying. No frills, no snacks. Leg room was fine, boarding was good.

Overall good. Plenty of legroom and fairly comfortable seats. No issues with capacity and the overhead been even though most people brought several carry-ons on. I don’t think Breeze really enforces the pay for a carry-on rule.

Surprised at how much I enjoyed Breeze. Paid for the Nicer upgrade which made it closer in price to a flag ship carrier but with more comfortable seats and much more leg room. Crew was polite and since we brought our food no loss there. Would make the point that the ‘have to pay for a carry-on is BS’. Most people did not and had several. Still was plenty of room in the overheads.

Comfortable seating, adequate space available, nice to have USB port, polite crew.

My experience is typically great with Breeze. This trip wasn’t any different.

This was my first experience with Breeze. The plane was cleaner and more comfortable than any other I've experienced. The process of boarding was streamlined. We boarded early and arrived at our destination 45 minutes early. The only hiccup was my ticket was rejected by TSA PreCheck and I got sent to the back of a very long line at Fort Myers. I entered my information when I bought my ticket, but it apparently didn't connect to my permanent profile. I'll correct that for next time. I was expecting an Allegiant experience, but Breeze was much more upscale. I really, really enjoyed it.

3 hour delay. Had to change plans and was still delayed.

The flight crew was extremely rude and especially not helpful when our flight was delayed.

The boarding and seat assignment system no longer works for me, but I know it is being replaced. Otherwise, I am good with the overall experience.

The lead steward kept singing about "San Francisco" and hotel California---more annoying than humorous....needs work. Flight was smooth and on time.

Still a fan of open seating. Flight was on schedule and arrived on time. The 737 MAX is very comfortable.

San Diego airport is brand new, spacious, airy and very smooth checkin at SW baggage drop.

Ever since Southwest starting charging for bags, passengers don't want to pay to check their bags, so the gate agents have to beg people to check their roller bags now because there's "not enough space". This was a terrible business move by Southwest.

Delays delays delays. Late taking off, late landing, wait for a gate, etc.

Connecting flight is on time and boarding was a breeze!

Very smooth checking in our luggage with a super pleasant SW agent. I enjoyed a fun entertaining movie.

I usually get upgraded so my experience is usually amazing. I did not get upgraded this time - which was fine - but the wifi had issues, the monitors were going in & out, & (though not Delta's fault) one of the gentlemen next to me desperately needed a shower.

I really liked the legroom. I am 6’4”.a at For some reason our seats were not together and using the app to fix it didn’t work. Passengers were nice enough to move for us but you should absolutely ensure a parent sits with their child.

Staff were friendly and happy. Delta could make sure passengers that don't have the app know of changes. Without Kayak I would not have known about the change of gate or the delay. Kayak was faster to notify me.

They changed planes and the new plane couldn’t carry enough fuel to fly across the country so we had to stop in Kansas City to refuel. Flight was delayed .

Flight was too crowded and seats are too small, especially since passengrs are getting larger. Having a middle seat is ALWAYS tough! Woman on my left was large & kept creeping in to my space. Flight personnel were great! Have more savory rather than sweet snacks please.

The crew took good care of us. The flight from ATL to SFO is a longer one, and there were multiple beverage offerings. I like the 757's that Delta uses. Good airplane that is comfortable. I do wish Delta would separate Priority boarding from the better seats. I would gladly take a smaller seat in an open row than be jammed into Comfort just to get priority boarding, just to make sure I don't have to check a bag.

Gate agent rushed to fill hot jetway with crowd so it took over 12 minutes to go from gate to plane. Just like a discount airline Pooly prepared cabin and third time that claim of rough air prevented any cabin service. Friends on a Southwest flight at similar time had service.

I was uncomfortably cold on the plane. Other than that it was uneventful and therefore as enjoyable as a plane ride can be.

Flight was delayed, 30+ bags had to be gate checked. Crew were very friendly!

Food was surprisingly good but the WiFi was not great

Amazing I love American. I’ll never fly anyone else if I can help it.

Everything about the flight was lovely. My only suggestion would be to offer a few more options of tv series from Apple TV or HBO.

After the door had been closed, the cockpit makes an announcement that catering is running late and it is not the airline's fault. It is their fault in the sense that we had to sit for 2 hours or more when we could have stayed in the terminal. Poor communications between catering and airline. This caused a young man to lose his temper and he went storming out hitting objects. He had complained to the gate agent that he had already waited at the gate 7 hours and when can the airplane leave? Airilnes do a poor job of explaining delays, maintenance issues, etc. whereas being truthful may gain more sympathy or understanding.

We were told the flight was delayed 5 times, then it was moved to the next day.

The experience with American Airlines was good, although the Philippines Airlines flight was much better (better seats, better food, better entertainment options, overall better). Again, the MIA to LAX flight was fine, but nothing in comparison to the comfort and accommodations of the Philippines Airlines flight from LAX to MNL.

Loved the crew . Absolutely no complaints. Except for luggage lost

Wish some foods provided rather than just biscuit/cookie for flight more than 2 hours

Flight delayed and missed connection. Rescheduled flight cancelled after 6 hrs wait. Rerouted thru ORD, flight cancelled, overnight stay in ORD. Still in the air on new flight!

We are too tired and frustrated to comment politely at this point

Very below average , plane from Dallas to Toyko was very poor designed plane. I had to sit for 13 hours next to fat man. Really bad seat and entertainment screen sucked

Very well recently! Frontier is improving and less harrassing customer on luggages! Positive!

Good for a budget airline! It was easy to get on, staff was really nice. Can’t say anything about the food or entertainment because it wasn’t available, which is fine.

I am writing to express my disappointment with my recent Frontier Airlines flight. I was charged $99 at the gate because my bag was said to be too large, yet once onboard there was no available overhead bin space, and I was required to place the bag under the seat in front of me anyway. This made the charge feel unnecessary and unfair. Additionally, before the flight even took off, I was asked to move from the seat I paid for into a middle seat so another passenger and her cat could have my seat to themselves. I was not offered compensation or an explanation for being moved from a paid seat. Between the unexpected bag fee and being forced to give up my seat, this experience fell well below acceptable customer service standards. I would appreciate a review of this situation and appropriate compensation.

It was costly and difficult to check in. $85 to take a small suitcase with me, carry on or checked and $75 on the return trip, Plus $25 if I didn't check my self in check in $25, because I couldn't do it on the kiosk. Small very uncomfortable seats, waited on the runway for near an hour each way. It was my worst flight to date.

It was ok. It was expensive to check 2 bags ($75.00 per bag), and then it took a long time to wait for shuttle to take us from one terminal to the terminal where the plane was taking off at LAX. And all of this for a flight where we had to pay for any food or drink that was not water.

It didn’t happen. I booked it and then was told it wasn’t available and then forced to pay far higher prices for a worse option

A 630departure flight Delayed 6hours! They changed my gate, I moved to the new gate. Had our flight on the screen for 12noon departure. I go get above to eat, check screen again and the flight was gone, no notice no announcement, nothing!! They sent my bag on the flight I wasn’t on, got it back to me 3days later. Thank goodness they did refund my money but I will NEVER fly them again.

Due to weather, my flight was delayed, further delayed, then canceled. I eventually got through to a support person who helped me find a different route out of MSP, but to get to DIA, they didn't want to, but eventually did help with the connection ticket purchase. But even this replacement flight was delayed time and time again, and I would have missed my connecting flights and I didn't want to get stuck in a layover city, so after 12 hours at the airport with two young boys who were very tired, we just cancelled our plans and spent the week at home, instead of Nana's.

Terrible. The canceled my entire flight when I requested a refund for a trip frontier canceled trip one way.

i was unable to check in the flight. refund requested

Everything you need to know for your flight from Raleigh to San Diego

Information on your arrival and departure airports